Jan. 1-8, 2003

3 FRI • MUSIC "Scheherezade" at the DSO— The Detroit Symphony Orchestra has just the thing for those in need of a musical change of pace this season. Offering an evening of classical reflection as the perfect post-holiday treat, this large and luscious aural aggregation combines a performance of Richard Strauss’ challenging "Metamorphosen" with a pair of more familiar works. Showcasing the talents of DSO’s horn virtuosos in Schumann’s "Konzertstück for Four Horns" and the brilliance of DSO violinist-concertmaster Emmanuelle Boisvert in Rimsky-Korsakov’s colorful musical tale of "Scheherezade," this evening of sound is guaranteed to be memorably eclectic. The Detroit Symphony Orchestra, under the guidance of musical director Neeme Järvi, lets a hundred flowers bloom at Orchestra Hall (3711 Woodward, Detroit). Call 313-576-5111 for tickets.

3-5 FRI-SUN • MUSIC Ferndale Blues Festival — The winter cold is here, and with it comes the winter blues, not to mention the F-F-F-Ferndale blues and the city’s second annual Ferndale Blues Festival. A dozen venues (including churches, bars, nightclubs and restaurants) are joining together to raise money for Ferndale Youth Assistance via blue piggy banks being placed for donations; more than 80 percent of proceeds go directly to the youth program, organizers say. Performers will include Doug Deming & the Jewel Tones, Wixom Slim and the Wyze Gyze, the Backdoor Blues Band and Tampa Ted & The Blue Knights. Restaurants (including Howe’s Bayou, Club Bart, Woodward Avenue Brewers and Como’s) will be serving up blues along with Cajun dishes, barbecue and soul food. Zion Lutheran Church on Woodward holds a blues brunch and gospel concert Saturday morning, while the United Methodist Church next door is the site of an acoustic coffee house Saturday evening at 8 p.m. Other venues include Rosie O’Grady’s, Dino’s, Ferndale First United Methodist Church, Danny’s Irish Pub. Call 248-545-1435 for details.

4 SAT • MUSIC Blair & Urban Break Coffeehouse present A Crowded House II—As an alternative to the bar-hopping scene, the often underrated and neglected urban folk scene has plenty to offer. Crowded House II (the brainchild of folk singer Blair and Urban Break Coffee House) presents eclectic, grassroots good times to anyone who wants ’em. Including performances from singer-songwriters Audra Kubat and Lisa Hunter, National Poetry Slam Champs 2002 and theatrical performances from local actress Beth Short and the Dorothy Hamilton Ensemble, this is the other choice. At Urban Break Coffeehouse (10020 Joseph Campau, Hamtramck). Call 313-872-1210 for more information.

4-5 SAT-SUN • ISSUES & LEARNING Food Not Bombs— Formed in 1980 by a band of antinuclear activists, this all-volunteer organization is dedicated to nonviolence. and now counts more than 175 autonomous chapters worldwide. These pacifists share vegetarian food with hungry people while protesting war and poverty. They invite any hungry or interested folks to join them for some yummy grub and positive discourse. Locations for meals are: Scripps Park (Grand River and Trumbull) in Detroit on Saturdays at noon, and Sundays at both Clark Park in Detroit (Clark and Verner) and Pope Park in Hamtramck (Belmont and Joseph Campau). Call 313-832-7945 for further information.

7 TUE • ART "Making Time": labouring at project mechanisms devised by Jeff Bezaire (cq) — The Windsor Artist-Run Centre for the Contemporary Arts wants you to join this imaginative invention, which is part of the Fourth Annual Windsor Labour Arts Festival. Area visual artists, writers and performance artists are invited to participate in this examination the state of the worker with a variety of creative and interactive art projects. The group projects include: the Simulated Auto Assembly Line (an assembly line to create a toy car) and Collage Project (a labor-intensive project with a table and materials available for those who want to join in). But perhaps most promising is the Diego Rivera Mural Project (in which a section of the Rivera Mural at the DIA will be divided into small squares with participants invited to reproduce a square and contribute to the recreation of the mural). Runs January 7-31. At The Windsor Artist-Run Centre for the Contemporary Arts (109 University Ave W., Windsor). Call 519-977-6564 for further information.